title: Performance of a rectilinear biphasic waveform in defibrillation of presenting and recurrent ventricular fibrillation: a prospective multicenter study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We tested the hypothesis that shock success differs with initial and recurrent episodes of ventricular fibrillation (VF).
  
  
  METHODS
  From September 2008 to March 2010 out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients with VF as the initial rhythm at 9 study sites were defibrillated by paramedics using a rectilinear biphasic waveform. Shock success was defined as termination of VF within 5s post-shock. We used generalized estimating equation (GEE) analysis to assess the association between shock type (initial versus refibrillation) and shock success.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ninety-four patients presented in VF. Mean age was 65.4 years, 78.7% were male, and 80.9% were bystander-witnessed. VF recurred in 75 (79.8%). There were 338 shocks delivered for initial (n = 90) or recurrent (n = 248) VF available for analysis. Initial shocks terminated VF in 79/90 (87.8%) and subsequent shocks in 209/248 (84.3%). GEE odds ratio (OR) for shock type was 1.37 (95% CI 0.68-2.74). After adjusting for potential confounders, the OR for shock type remained insignificant (1.33, 95% CI 0.60-2.53). We observed no significant difference in ROSC (54.7% versus 52.6%, absolute difference 2.1%, p = 0.87) or neurologically intact survival to hospital discharge (21.9% versus 33.3%, absolute difference 11.4%, p = 0.31) between those with and without VF recurrence.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Presenting VF was terminated with one shock in 87.8% of cases. We observed no significant difference in the frequency of shock success between initial versus recurrent VF. VF recurred in the majority of patients and did not adversely affect shock success, ROSC, or survival.
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, Division of Emergency Medicine Research, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, 200 First Street SW, Rochester, MN 55905, USA.
authors.forename: Erik P
authors.initials: EP
authors.lastname: Hess
authors.forename: Dipti
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Agarwal
authors.forename: Lucas A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Myers
authors.forename: Elizabeth J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Atkinson
authors.forename: Roger D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: White
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D004554:Electric Countershock / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D058687:Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012008:Recurrence; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014693:Ventricular Fibrillation / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*